as in threatening
to use blackmail against (someone)
The old man was being blackmailed by his nephew.
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Recent Examples of blackmailing
The offenders will get young women to send explicit photos using similar blackmailing tactics.
—
Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The proposal set off alarm bells in the Norwegian media, with unverified claims that Verrett was blackmailing Louise.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Another minor added that Smith involved her husband, telling him that the victim had a video of her smoking marijuana with them and was blackmailing her.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
After Matthew starts blackmailing Oliver, there’s an obvious shift in the way the group interacts with him.
—Michael Cuby, Them., 27 Aug. 2025
Some users bragged about allegedly assaulting or blackmailing women and encouraged others to insult the women shown in photos with degrading language.
—Cnn Staff 20 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Some of the stranger and more alarming AI behaviors, such as blackmailing or deceiving users, have been extensively studied by these companies as a first step toward mitigating possible harms.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025
Molly Beck, jsonline.com, 14 Oct. 2025
The proposal set off alarm bells in the Norwegian media, with unverified claims that Verrett was blackmailing Louise.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 16 Sep. 2025
Another minor added that Smith involved her husband, telling him that the victim had a video of her smoking marijuana with them and was blackmailing her.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
After Matthew starts blackmailing Oliver, there’s an obvious shift in the way the group interacts with him.
—Michael Cuby, Them., 27 Aug. 2025
Some users bragged about allegedly assaulting or blackmailing women and encouraged others to insult the women shown in photos with degrading language.
—Cnn Staff 20 Hr Ago, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2025
Some of the stranger and more alarming AI behaviors, such as blackmailing or deceiving users, have been extensively studied by these companies as a first step toward mitigating possible harms.
—Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 21 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blackmailing
Verb
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Six citizens were arrested for impeding and threatening to kill agents.—
Rachel Wolf,
FOXNews.com,
25 Oct. 2025
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That officer was later identified as Michael Paulson, who was later taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life threatening, according to Zak.—
Rey Covarrubias Jr,
AZCentral.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Down 38-14 early in the fourth quarter, Texas staged one of the college football season’s more improbable rallies Saturday, scoring 31 unanswered points and squeezing past Mississippi State 45-38 in overtime.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Haiti, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic’s steep terrain will force air upward, wringing out more moisture from the storm, just like squeezing a wet sponge, turning tropical humidity into torrents racing downhill.—
Chris Dolce,
CNN Money,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Bandit had been found on a rural road in the middle of nowhere and would have died had his rescuer not been driving past.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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That driving tension and anxiety are largely thanks to the team of artisans, which included composer Volker Bertelmann, editor Kirk Baxter and sound designer Paul Ottosson, who worked closely behind the scenes on their respective crafts to bring it together.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nearly a billion records were stolen across dozens of organizations, and now cybercriminals are extorting victims by threatening to publish the data unless hefty ransoms are paid.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
16 Oct. 2025
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And in response, the Maduro regime is extorting them by holding their nationals in prison and forcing them to engage with the Maduro regime for their release.—
Manuel Rueda,
NPR,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There were conversations about a young striker who was impressing at Southampton called Alan Shearer.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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Launching projects, impressing the public or seeking a better job could be auspicious.—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In July 2022, Avalos was convicted of felony stalking in Dakota County, Minnesota, after repeatedly contacting and harassing a victim in violation of state law.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
27 Oct. 2025
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The only other item on the ballot in this election is in Poway’s District 2, where voters will decide whether to recall City Councilmember Tony Blain, who is accused of harassing and bullying residents.—
Lucas Robinson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Blackmailing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blackmailing. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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